


Endless Days

by sandboxqueen



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Dad Sojiro, Eventual Romance, F/M, Phantom Reader, Platonic Relationships, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-07-07 19:58:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15915213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandboxqueen/pseuds/sandboxqueen
Summary: In a world of corruption and scummy adults what can a scared teenager do to fight back?How can you find the power to fight when you can't even help yourself?Run. Hide. Repeat. Run. Hide. Repeat.But can one person change that?





	1. Chapter 1

**Monday April 11 th **

You make it to school just as classes resumed for fifth period without much of a fuss. Ms. Kawakami looks over as the door opens, shifting the attention of the room from the unrecognisable boy in front of you. His eyes met your own, your skin prickling at his stare.

Was it fear you felt? No, he didn’t seem too menacing. Curiosity? Perhaps.

“Oh, (L/N)! I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

Your eyes dart to your teacher’s as she speaks up, ending your staring match, as you give her a smile and step up to her desk. “Sorry for the disturbance.” You say with a bow before handing over your approved absence sheet. “I figured since I was finished early there was no harm in coming to classes.”

She shakes her head with a smile and a quick “you’re never a disturbance” before you find your way to your usual seat, not before bowing again to the class of course, waving to Ann as you pass her. “Now as I was saying…”

The moment Ms. Kawakami says the words transfer student, half the class is abuzz with whispers of the rumoured thug transferring to your school. Ann turns to you with a confused look which you answer with a shrug. You weren’t one to keep up with the latest gossip considering how little you heard it.

“You can sit in that empty seat over there.” She points to the desk next to you, which had somehow managed to remain vacant so far, “(L/N) would you mind sharing your textbook?” you nod to your teacher before sending a small smile the boy’s way.

He smiles back slightly which you take as a sign to ignore the gossip and trust your initial instincts. Throwing caution to the wind you lean over and offer your hand with the cover of class chatter, “I’m (L/N) (F/N).” His smile grows a touch as he leans over to shake your hand.

“Kurusu Akira.”

 

 

**~*~**

You can’t help but worry.

Your phone should have gone off hours ago and still, nothing. You find yourself checking the damn thing so much you can’t even focus on writing today, so instead, you decide to pack up and head home. You cut through the courtyard to stop by the vending machines before you go.

“What? You givin’ up already Mishima?”

You come to a stop in the centre of the courtyard, ears perking at the voices coming from the gym.

“At this rate you’ll never make it. You’re nothing but dead weight!”

You know you should go in there and help. You know you should stop him. You know you should do something.

Your shoulder starts to throb.

And you walk away.

**Wednesday April 13 th **

The Volleyball Rally was here, and you were far from excited to be at school.

“Have you talked to Shiho today?” Ann asks as she fiddles with the end of her jacket, loose threads beginning to appear from the constant picking. You really felt for her. She was doing everything she could to try and help Shiho without putting herself in danger too.

You look to Shiho on the court, taking in the new bandages she’s gotten since you last spoke. “I did this morning. But we were interrupted by you-know-who.”

You could practically feel Ann’s anxiety as she sat next to you, not to mention she had a vice grip on your hand. It was the least you could do considering the situation. You glance across the court to the teacher’s side to find Kamoshida looking directly at you and Ann. He sends you a cocky grin which you ignore, directing your attention elsewhere instead.

That elsewhere just so happened to be looking at you too.

You lift your free hand to wave, Kurusu doing the same to you with a small smile. It doesn’t last long before a cry of pain fills the gym, effectively ending your small exchange.

You’re on your feet in a heartbeat, trying to see who it was on the ground. You couldn’t help but feel responsible when it was Mishima being carried out of the gym.

 

 

**~*~**

You’re worrying about her again.

It’s been two days since you’d heard anything. Two days since you’d gotten some half-hearted, short sentenced text but at least with that you’d know everything was okay. But you also have a deadline to meet in the next few weeks and god help you if you didn’t meet it. You pack up for the day hoping you get up early enough to ease some of your worries.

Your thoughts are broken by a suddenly loud voice reaching your ears, looking up to find Sakamoto and someone else standing at the school gates. “I feel like this is the last place you’d be after hours Sakamoto-kun **.** ” The blond jumps slightly, eyes wide as he turns to you. You make your way towards the boy, finding his accomplice is, to your surprise, the transfer student. “Oh Kurusu! I wasn’t expecting you to be hanging around too.” You offer the boy a smile before making your way home as Sakomoto shoves the boy beside him.

“Why do you get ‘Kurusu~’ and a cute smile while I just get ‘Sakamoto-kun’?”

 

 

 

**Friday April 15 th **

“Morning Sojiro!”

The older café owner turns to you, greeting you with a smile as he cleans out a coffee mug, “(Y/N)! It’s been a while since you’ve dropped by, please make yourself at home.” he fills the mug in his hands, placing it on the counter as you drop onto the seat before him.

You wrap your hands around the mug with a smile, “Oh, how I’ve missed you,” he smiles before retreating into the kitchen. You blow over the surface of the drink, the familiar scent of curry and coffee beans filling your lungs as you take breath, “Blue Mountain beans?”

Sojiro chuckles with a nod, “You’ve got a real talent there (N/N),” he returns with a plate of curry and rice in hand. “So, how’s your mother doing?” You can see he’s really asking ow you’re doing, but you’d never call him out.

“She’s good at the moment, nothing alarming.” You stare down at your coffee before meeting eyes with the old man with a shrug “What about you? I haven’t heard from her in a few days.”

He lets out a sigh as he shakes his head, “Still the same as ever. She’s in one of her comatose sleeps right now. I’ll let you know when she wakes up. Oh!” he holds up a finger telling you to wait as he goes back to the kitchen. He comes back carrying a bento, smile spread across his face, “Here, I’ll make another one for the trouble maker.”

“What do you mean ‘trouble maker’?” at that a pair of footsteps enter the room, your attention being brought to the staircase. You stare in silence when your eyes land on Kurusu, innocently standing in LeBlanc, eyes wide as saucers obviously as shocked as you are. You watch him in confusion before shaking yourself out of your stupor, “Hi.”

Sojiro’s eyes move between you both, curiosity evident behind his glasses, almost waiting for caged animals to attack, “Do you two know each other?” he feels as if he’s on trial as both sets of eyes are suddenly on him, waiting for answers to an unspoken question.

Kurusu’s the first to open his mouth, surprising you even more, “Yeah, we’re in the same class at Shujin,” His eyes return to you, still watching him in confusion, “We sit next to each other.”

 

 

**~*~**

You had never felt so awkward on a train before.

When you’d gone to leave LeBlanc Kurusu had offered to go with you to school, which you accepted, not seeing any harm in the action. Of course, you forgot to account for how socially inept you were. Sure, you can stand in front of a room of strangers and give the performance of your life, but the moment you have to interact with a real human? Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

“(L/N), you okay?” you nearly fall over at the speed you turn, leaving you scrambling to grab onto anything you could. It just so happened you grabbed onto Kurusu’s arm. “I’ll take that as a no.”

You straighten up as he chuckles, trying your best to get rid of the heat in your cheeks, “No, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired is all.” The train car jolts, nearly taking you with it. If it weren’t for Kurusu’s reflexes, you’d probably be making an even bigger fool of yourself right now. You’re painfully aware of how close you are, and how packed the car is, but somehow manage to muster up the years of child acting your father got you into.

“So, how did you end up with Sojiro?” he’s suddenly very tense, his grip on your arm tightening slightly before releasing to a comfortable pressure, “Sorry, touchy subject?” His eyes meet your own, looking as if he’s searching for something, before he shakes his head with a smile saying it’s a “long story”. You shrug, giving him your own smile, “We’ve got time. If you’re up for it?”

And he was. He was surprisingly light hearted through the whole story, through the bordering vice grip he had on your forearm was telling you otherwise. He was mad.

“WAIT WHAT?” and so were you apparently. Kurusu jumps at your loud exclamation, making you remember where you were. “Sorry, but that is so not right.”

He shrugs, giving you a reassuring smile, “No, seriously there has to be something you can do. Maybe I can talk to Makoto, see if her sister can look into it. Do you kno- what is it?” You’re distracted by his amused smile before he slowly begins to laugh. It was odd seeing the cool and mysterious exchange student suddenly brought down by a giggle fit, yet somehow heart-warming. You couldn’t stop yourself from joining in.

As the laughter slowly died down you thought of something, “Hey,” Kurusu turns his attention back to you again, eyes watering slightly with a huge smile marring his face, “do you think we could do this again some time?”

 _Oh no._ Slowly but surely you could feel your skin start to heat up, anxiety setting in as your mouth starts moving on its own, “I mean you don’t have to it’s just I live in the same area and I like to stop by LeBlanc a lot so… Yeah.” You stop yourself before the rambling continues any longer, deciding you’d already embarrassed yourself enough.

He smiles again and nods, “I’d like that.”

 

 

**~*~**

_I am_ **_thou_ ** _, thou art I..._ _  
_Thou hast acquired a_ **new** _vow.__

_It shall_ **_become_ ** _the wings of rebellion_ _  
_that_ **breaketh** _thy chains of captivity.__

_With the_ ** _birth_** _of the Star Persona,_  
I have obtained the winds of blessing that  
shall lead to  **freedom** and new power...

**~*~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't officially a thing yet I just finished playing Persona again and wanted to write something. It probably won't go anywhere because it feels so choppy so if I do anything it'll probably be rewritten but hey this is for fun. Let me know if this is worth progressing with please.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter fresh out of the oven and oh is that a lovely crust?  
> But seriously I'm surprised I was able to write so much of this. Enjoy.

**Friday April 15 th **

“I’m sorry, but we can’t allow both of you to come.” The paramedic says as you and Ann both go to follow Shiho into the ambulance. The happenings from earlier were still fresh in your mind, as Ann begins to argue on your behalf.

Everything had happened so fast. One moment you were in class staring blankly at the blackboard, when one of the boys started making a commotion. “Suzui…” your attention is caught as Mishima stands from his desk, staring out the window.

“Shiho!” Ann stands from her desk as you run past her to the window, finding yourself between her and Kurusu’s desks as the teacher yells at everyone to get back in their seats. “No way!” you can’t find words as you watch your friend standing on the edge. A scream tears from your throat as Ann cries out again as she takes a step and the two of you run off, hands linked together as you bolt out of the building.

Which brought you to the courtyard now, watching one of your best friends be carried off. “But that’s not fair!” Ann’s exclamation brought you out of your stupor, attention back on the problem at present as you place a hand on Ann’s shoulder.

She looks back, her face a mixture of emotion as you find your voice, the shock wearing off somewhat, “It’s okay Ann, you go. I’ll come see her later, okay?” you watch her brows furrow, ready to argue before you smile at her and shive her slightly in the direction of the ambulance. It was only right, Shiho was closer to her anyway. With an affirming nod Ann gives you a hug before running off after the paramedics with a quiet “thank you”.

“That guy…” You’re snapped out of your daze as you hear Ryuji growl behind you before taking off with Kurusu. You didn’t know why, but you found your legs moving of their own accord, following the two boys through the school. You skid to a halt as Ryuji’s familiar voice cried out, stopping around the corner from the commotion. "Then why'd you run like that?"

They had cornered Mishima, grabbing him by the arm after he had seemingly tried to run away. He looked down right scared as the boys questioned him, and almost shameful, "I didn't run..."

You and the smaller boy flinch as Ryuji slams his fist into the nearby lockers at his wits end. They really weren’t playing around right now, and Ryuji seemed to be taking none of Mishima’s crap. "She jumped and tried to kill herself!"

"You know something, don’t you?” Kurusu’s calmer voice automatically sooths you, seemingly having the same effect on Mishima as he looks back at the two in front of him. You can see the conflict inside him as he clenches and unclenches his fists.

"She was called out by Kamoshida!" He finally finds his voice, anxiety clear in his tone as he cries out before calming somewhat. "I was called by him a number of times too... to the teachers room." He looks away again, ashamed by what he was telling the boys. "It wasn't just me or Suzui either. He'd nominate someone when he was in a bad mood...and hit them."

You felt your blood run cold, memories of your time with the girls’ volleyball team cropping up. Your shoulder ached as you recalled your last run in with Kamoshida.

"That son of a bitch!" Ryuji’s outburst startles you as he runs past you, seemingly not realising you were even there. You step back and out of sight as the other two follow his lead, taking a breath before you do the same.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out where they were going, stopping outside the room you had been avoiding for so long. You only planned to listen in on the conversation, that was until you heard Shiho’s name come up. "We just received a call from the hospital. Suzui's in a coma and her chances of recovery are slim... How would someone like that make a statement." You were fuming as his tone dripped with sarcasm, "There's no chance of her getting better, I hear... that poor girl." 

The bastard thought he was going to get away with it. He was so smug about tying up another loose end that he didn’t even care about the human that was being unravelled.

That was it.

You almost kicked the door in as you stormed into the room, the boys barely having time to take in his works before you were pushing your way to the front of the group. “I fucking _dare you_ to talk about her that way again!” You revelled in the way you saw Kamoshida’s demeanour fall slightly as you slammed your fists on his desk.

"You goddamn..." Ryuji was now beside you, the tension in the room palpable as you both glared up at the man.

"This, again...?" He shakes his shock off, looking to the blonde with nothing but aggravation on his face. "Does this mean we need to have yet another case of "self-defence"?" Kamoshida lets out a frustrated sigh before regarding the group, "Everyone present right now...will be expelled. I'm reporting all of you at the next board meeting."

"You can't make a decision like that..." Mishima shouts as you start to feel your bravery turn into a burning fire in the pit of your stomach.

"Who would seriously consider what scum like you say?" you almost growl at his words, finding yourself staring as he stares everyone down. "Now, are we finished here? You're all expelled! You're done for; your futures are mine to take. Now get out of my sight."

You almost lunge at the man before someone takes your hand, pulling you along as everyone exits. “Oh, and (Y/N)?” You turn back again, a smirk plastered across the mans’ face, “Do rethink my previous offer, will you? You have such potential.” He laughs as you’re pulled out quickly, the door slamming shut behind you as your previous burst of strength suddenly vanishes, and once again you’re wanting to be as far from here as possible.

Somehow you find yourself standing outside of your classroom, having been dragged along silently and slowly by someone. A hand falls on your shoulder startling you slightly before you turn to its owner. “Oh… Kurusu...” You’re relieved to have his support, his small smile comforting even after everything. You try to smile back, failing greatly as tears start to well up in your eyes. He surprises you once again by pulling you in, arms circling around you like a security blanket. You allow yourself to collapse into him after a short moment of inner conflict, hands clutching onto his shirt as you let yourself cry.

 

 

**~*~**

A car came by the school to pick you up in 4th period, taking you to the TV studio to meet your father. “Good afternoon Miss (L/N), how was school?” you’re greeted by the receptionist as you enter the studio lobby, returning her smile with just as much enthusiasm. She was always kind to you, but not so kind that it came off as kiss ass. You were a regular here considering who your father was.

Never the less it was always nice to see her when you walk in. She was such a breath of fresh air compared to some of the station employees. “To you too Mao. Has my dad come through yet?” I take the tag she offers me, clipping it to my uniform as she checks her records.

Her face lights up when she find what she’s looking for with a nod, “Yup, he’s in studio 17 right now. I’ll send a page, so he knows you’re here.” She tapped away at her keyboard for a moment before glancing back up, flicking her hands at me, “Now scoot along. He’s got an exciting guest in today.”

You perk up at that, wondering who exactly could garner so much excitement out of Mao, and who it was your dad didn’t tell you about. You hurry off as she shoos you away for a second time, giggling lightly as you get into the lift.

As the doors close and you are left alone, your body slumps back against the wall of the elevator. Today had been hard, and it took a lot out of you to hide that from everyone you met. The breakdown in front of Kurusu was one too many people already, who knows what would happen if you let your guard down here. You lift your head to watch the numbers above the door tick over as you ascended, finding the orderly action calming in all the chaos.

They stop however, your body tensing slightly as you realise it’s not your floor you’ve stopped on. You put up your nonchalant mask again, watching as the doors open to reveal the new occupant. “Ah, what a coincidence this is.” Your breath hitches as the ace detective walks into the lift, a small smile gracing his face as he settles next to you, doors closing and sealing the two of you in.

“Akechi Goro. So, you’re our guest today then?” you ask, knowing full well he was. Mao’s infatuation with the young detective made it obvious considering her reaction. It was odd, but you always felt uneasy around the young detective. Maybe it was that he dealt with criminals, or the fact his smile never seemed to reach his eyes.

And his eyes.

They held something dark behind them. Very dark.

His smile grew as he nodded, but it was dropped the minute he got a real look at you. “Did something happen today?” You froze up, momentarily forgetting he was a detective and could read people rather easily. And you’d been going so well.

You focus your attention on the numbers again, waiting for them to get to your floor. “I’m sure you’ve already heard all about what happened this morning at Shujin. I mean,” you glanced at him for a moment with a raised brow, “you are an ace detective after all.”

He frowned slightly and seemed to start analysing you as you turned back to the numbers. “You don’t like me very much do you (Y/N)?”

Your eyes narrowed slightly. The way he said (Y/N) just really rubbed you the wrong way. “It’s (L/N), and to be honest, I don’t know you.”

He chuckled at that, combing a hand through his light hair. The movement seemed very practiced, as if he did it just for show. It made you wonder how much of him was a practiced act. “Well,” he started, throwing an amused glance your way, “I’d say we know each other quite well considering how often-…”

“No.” You cut him off nonchalantly, earning a rather shocked expression from the detective, “I don’t know you. The real you. Not the act you put up all the time.” His shock melted away to reveal a blank look as he stared at you for what seemed like forever. As he opened his mouth to say something the elevator dinged, letting you know you were _finally_ at your floor.

“Nice talking to you.” At that, you took your leave, making your way down the hallway to studio 17 as he stood in the elevator, staring after you.

And if you were being honest, it scared the shit out of you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I've actually just gone through a whole day with this one. Less sporadic and more story to go through.  
> Let me know what you think. I want to have more of the reader's personal story line and not just copy and pasting from the script. I'm trying to make original but not fully my own content here people.  
> If you have any questions feel free to ask. I feel like I'm really going to get into writing this one.  
> PEACE OUT


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Monday April 25 st **

The days after the Friday from Hell were weird to say the least. For starters, Ann started meeting up with Kurusu and Sakomoto. It wasn’t hanging out that was weird, but it was ANN TAKAMAKI hanging out with them that weirded you out. You’d tried to ask her about it but all she said was “they needed help with trying to avoid everyone getting expelled” which was nice and all, but why Ann?

Next, you noticed the black and white cat Kurusu was carrying around in his bag. It wasn’t that hard to find out, I mean its tail is constantly sticking out from under his desk, and it never shuts up. You were surprised no teachers had caught on at this point.

And last but not least, it felt as though someone was watching you. Everywhere you went you could feel eyes on you. Weirder still, it didn’t feel malicious, it just felt, curious. Like someone was observing you in some science experiment.

You found yourself lost in thought in class, staring past Ann and Kurusu, and out the window to the courtyard. Squinting your eyes, you could swear the was a shadow out on the rooftops, but you just chalk it up to it being some memories from Friday when…

You cringe, not wanting to remember what happened.

“(L/N)!” You snap to attention, eyes darting to the front of the classroom to find your glaring history teacher Mr Inui staring right at you. “Can you tell me the name of the vain queen who challenged the beauty of the Nereids?”

You sat, opening and closing your mouth for a few seconds as you panicked, there was no way you’d know the answer to that.

_Cassiopeia…_

But somehow, you did.

“Cassiopeia?” your eyes widened as your mouth moved on its own, almost jumping out of your seat at the rather loud clap your teacher did after hearing your answer. You looked up to see him grinning as he yelled “Correct!”

He held up a depiction of the queen, showing the room and pointing to different things as he continued the lesson, “In mythology, she was the wife of King Cepheus of Ethiopia. She was punished by Poseidon, who sent the whale, Cetus as sea monster, to terrorise the coast of Cepheus’ kingdom. In order to rid themselves of this curse, they had to sacrifice their daughter.”

“Andromeda.”

“Correct again!” You teacher seemed shocked but also rather excited someone was actually answering him for once. You of course, not usually one to blurt out answers you didn’t know shrunk down in your seat, trying to disappear.

Ann approached your desk just after class ended for the day, “You know a lot about Greek Mythology.” Her smile held a hidden pride behind it, pulling a smile from you in return. It warmed your heart how much Ann supported your drive when it came to your grades.

“Well, you know me. I like to know things.” That wasn’t entirely true though. To be honest, you couldn’t even remember knowing anything about Cassiopeia in the first place. You chalked it up to some random knowledge you’d picked up from your mother’s old books.

But it somehow felt like it was more than that.

**Wednesday April 27 nd**

They were all over the school.

The moment you stepped through the doorway your vision was filled with red cards filling wall after wall, black and white lettering scattered across their surface.

_"Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong...?"_

_"Does this mean the rumours are true!?"_

_"Wait a sec... Is someone gonna take something from Mr. Kamoshida...?"_

_"What's with this weird logo? And who're are these Phantom Thieves of Hearts people...?"_

One group caught your eye, standing back from the crowds as if nothing was going on. You place yourself on a corner near them, hoping to catch a bit of their conversation before a loud booming voice cut you off.

"Who's responsible for this!?" Kamoshida stomped into the hallway, looking around

A small meow caught your attention, eyes drawn back to the group to see a black and white cat head sticking out of Kurusu’s bag. Sakomoto turns towards the messy haired boy, a smirk plastered on his face, "I think it's hittin' him pretty hard."

"Did you do this!? Or was it you!?" Kamoshida's started yelling at random students, his crowds beginning to disperse to avoid his anger. You watch from your spot around a corner as he catches sight of the boys, walking over to yell in their faces, "Was it you two!?"

"What are you talking about?" Kurusu asks, almost too casually considering the man holding his future was standing right in front of him. Your brows furrow as your mind starts to put pieces together. He couldn’t have… Could he?

Kamoshida almost scared at this point, but it tones down as he exerts his power over the students. "So, you're playing dumb? It's not a problem, you'll be expelled soon enough anyway." He stalks past you, presumably towards his office, leaving the group in the hallway. Your ears perk up at the meowing again, the cat’s head appearing from the bag, and tune in on their conversation.

“Does that mean the treasure’s appeared?” Ann’s voice is low, but you can still catch what she’s saying, “We’ll be able to get it today right?”

There’s more meowing, till Sakomoto pipes up, “One day’s more than enough for us.” You wait till they’re out of sight to leave your spot, making your way towards your classroom as you think on their conversation. It was a little weird how long it took for someone to talk, as if there was an unheard voice in their conversation.

This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

**Saturday April 30 th**

Kamoshida disappeared after the “calling cards” were placed around the school. It was weird, but you felt a sort of relief not having to see him every day. From the looks of it, the volleyball team seemed to be feeling the same way.

You exchanged a glance with one of your old teammates, a small smile coming to her face before she turns back to talk to her friends. You’d had similar interactions that day.

“Oh, what do you think of this one (Y/N)?” you look back to Ann, a bright blue skirt being shoved in your face.

After school, she’d dragged you to the underground mall for some shopping. She’d been spending more time with you since the Kamoshida incident. It made you a little suspicious, but you weren’t complaining. It was nice to be able to see her back to normal.

You take the skirt off her, holding it in front of her to see how it looks, “It’s a bit too toned down for you, don’t you think?”

She pouted, taking it back to hold in front of you in the same way, “I meant for you! Why don’t you try it? Oh, this too!” She shoves the item into your arms, not giving you time to object before throwing even more items on the pile. You’re dragged into a change room; the curtain being drawn shut behind you. “Make sure you come out after so I can see them!”

You look at all the items individually, wondering what exactly went with what. “How did you choose all of this?!” Ann’s giggle is all you hear in reply, sighing as you begin trying the items on. This was pretty standard for Ann, using you as her own personal dress up doll.

You smile as you remember last fall when she tried to get you to buy a frog raincoat. “It’ll look so cute though!” she argued with you for half an hour till she finally gave in and you left the store. A week later you found a box on your desk, a smiling frog face greeting you as you opened the lid.

You open the curtain after figuring out an appropriate combination of items, Ann letting out a small squeal and clapping as you step out. “I knew it would be perfect for you!”

You wave her off, turning to look in the mirror behind you. “You say that about everything you make me wear.” Trying to pull the skirt down you take in the whole outfit. It wasn’t half bad, but it still annoyed you how easily she was able to pick it out.

“This might even catch the eye of a certain exchange student you keep staring at in class.”

Ann giggles as you glare at her through the mirror, crossing your arms over your chest as you turn on her. “I have NOT been staring!”

Her giggling only turns to laughter as you continue to deny the accusation.

It’s not like you’ve STARING at him. It’s more like… quiet observation… yeah…

“Hey Ann!” you both look to see Sakomoto waving at you from outside the store before he turns to drag Kurusu in behind him. “Didn’t think we’d be running into you.”

Ann crosses her arms over her chest, glaring at Sakomoto, “What are you even doing here? I thought you were supposed to be working out?” She raises a brow at them, apparently suspicious of the two, “Or are you following us around?”

“What?! Why would we want to follow you around?!” He tries to seem disgusted by the idea, turning to Kurusu for support.

He raises a brow at the blond before turning back to you and Ann, “Ryuji dragged me to find you guys.”

“Whose side are you on man?!” Sakomoto yelled, offended by the quick betrayal from his friend.

You found yourself giggling at their antics, enjoying how refreshingly honest Kurusu seemed to be. He smiles down to you in return before giving you a once over, “That looks really good on you by the way.”

You freeze up, not expecting such a bold statement from the seemingly timid boy. “Uh, thanks…” you give him a small smile, turning away as you feel your cheeks begin to heat up.

Ann punches you on the shoulder lightly, bringing you back to earth, “See I told you!” You glare at the smirk set on her face, wanting to slap the smugness out of her. Her persona changes quickly as she crosses her arms over her chest in a defiant manner, standing her ground. “Buy it!”

You turn to Kurusu hoping for some support, but he just shrugs and smirks, leaving you defenceless. With a huff you turn back to the changeroom, “Alright fine. But you’re getting the dress!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no clue where this is going. Let's just go with the flow ya'll. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit long, but I couldn't find where I wanted to end.  
> So of course, I just kept going.  
> Anyway, enjoy!

**Monday May 2 nd**

_“What’s with the sudden morning assembly…?”_

_“I bet it’s about that girl that jumped the other day.”_

_“They don’t have to tell us not to commit suicide.”_

_“There was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are freaking out?”_

You reached for Ann’s hand, catching her attention as you held her clenched fist. You give her a smile, successfully calming her as her hands relax, fingers linking with your own. You listened as Principal Kobayakawa caught the attention of the students, informing everyone of Shiho’s recovery. You could feel your tension release as well as Ann’s at the news, despite feeling guilty you hadn’t been to see her yet.

Ann suddenly let go of your hand, her attention drawn to the doors of the auditorium. “Ah…” You look up, seeing Kamoshida standing in the doorway, an aura of despair surrounding him. The student body focus on his form, alerted by the principal’s sudden silence.

“I… have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all…”

He reaches the stage, proceeding to stand before everyone and do as he said; confess to his abuse, harassment, and perversion of his power over students. He falls to his knees, beginning to cry as the students begin to mummer amongst themselves. “I am truly sorry for putting youths through such horrible acts…”

“I am an arrogant, shallow… and shameful person. No, I’m worse than that…” You’re in awe of the dramatics, surprised by the amount of honestly being shown by Kamoshida. This was the man who showed no remorse in pursuing you and your friend, who tried to ruin your life. You watched as he folded over on his hands and knees, kneeling before the crowd, “I will take responsibility and kill myself for it!”

The students began to berate him as the teachers tried to defend him and calm the students.

“He doesn’t even deserve to take his life…”

You caught Ann’s attention as you clenched your fists, barely able to look at the monster in front of you. She placed a hand on your shoulder, turning to Kamoshida with a growl, “Don’t run you bastard!”

You finally look up, feeling the passion behind Ann’s words. Glaring up at Kamoshida you wished you were able to stand up for yourself, even now. He confesses to the students how he pursued Ann and yourself, saying he deserved to be arrested and punished for his crimes and will be resigning as a teacher before crying out in desperation, “Someone please call the police!”

The room erupts into a gossiping mass, about Kamoshida, the other teachers, even the so-called Phantom Thieves.

As Kamoshida is escorted out and the students begin to return to class, you find yourself lost in thought, trying to figure out what could make him confess so suddenly. You’re so caught up in thought you don’t even realise Ann has dragged you along with her to meet up with the two boys until Mishima approaches the group.

“Takamaki-san, (l/n)-san… I’m sorry!” You both turn to see your classmate bowed in front of you. Looking to the blonde you can tell she’s just as confused as you are. He straightens up, shame evident on his face as he continues, “We all knew… but we pretended we didn’t.” The two girls who came with him apologised for spreading rumours about Ann and Kamoshida’s relationship before a teacher told everyone to go back to class.

Mishima turned to Kurusu, “I can’t apologise enough for what I did to you.” It was heartbreaking to see him so broken up, but you could sense determination in him to do this, “I swear I’ll make it up to you someday.” And with that he walked away, leaving the four of you alone.

Sakomoto’s next words clung with you as you made your way back to class.

 

 

**~*~**

_“Looks like Kamoshida ain’t the only one that had a change of heart.”_

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

These Phantom Thieves, the new heroes of your school, were obviously involved in the Kamoshida scandal, and after seeing the way Ann had reacted and looked for the boys, it wasn’t hard to figure out who they were.

You’d managed to catch Kurusu at Leblanc later that evening after visiting Shiho. You were talking with Sojiro about your next personal project when the door opened, a meow catching your attention. “Must be nice to have so much time off starting tomorrow…” Sojiro lets out a sigh, “for me it just means more customers, and even more work.”

“Well, I’ll be working for dad. It’s the only way he lets me use the studio facilities.” You shrug, taking a sip from the coffee in front of you, “Geisha? Since when have you stocked Geisha beans?” you send the barista an incredulous look as you take another sip.

Sojiro shrugs, deciding not to answer your question and checking his watch. “I better get going. Feel free to stay if you like.” He slips off his apron, replacing it with his jacket and hat with what you know as practiced finesse. “Don’t forget to lock up, be sure to help yourself to anything behind the counter.” He gives you a peck on the head as he passes you, throwing a hand up in a wave to Kurusu.

The bell chimes behind him, leaving you in a somewhat comfortable silence with the messy haired boy. You send him a smile before hopping out of your seat, stepping behind the counter to pour another cup of coffee. He continues to stand there, so you push the cup towards him, “Well? Sit down will you.”

He blinks at you for a moment before a slight blush begins to creep up his neck, and he quickly takes a seat. “Sorry. I was thinking about something.”

You giggle as he takes a sip from his cup, “I’d think you’d be smoother as one of those Phantom Thieves.” You watch as Kurusu tries not to choke on his coffee, laughter bubbling out of you, “Wow, I can’t wait to see you try to deny it after that reaction!”

 

 

**~*~**

After full night of being your dad’s lap dog, on the spot makeup touch up, and special guest escort, the two of you were finally home.

You pulled out your laptop to order the most American burgers you could find and then flopped back on the couch as your dad found something for you both to watch. “Please tell me we have some sort of trashy US shows recorded.” Half an hour later you’re both waiting to see who gets kicked off the Bachelor and shoving salty fries in your mouths.

Your dad reaches over, rustling your messy hair as you try to bat him off, with a grin. “You did well today kid. Sorry we were so short on crew though.”

You redo your hair in a ponytail, matching is own grin with your own. “Thanks dad. It wasn’t too bad. Plus,” you flop over, leaning your head on his shoulder as you watch the tv, “you’re letting me use the studios for free right?”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he turns back to the tv. Silence falls over the two of you, just sounds from the tv and the occasional rustle of paper filling the room. An hour later you had just about fallen asleep. Your dad smiles down at you and turning off the tv, beginning to clean up the mess you two had made.

Your dad goes to pick you up, chuckling at the soaked patch on the pillow you’d been drooling on, “Just like your mother.” He notes that there’s probably now a wet patch on his shirt as he carries you to your room, planning the laundry he’ll be doing tomorrow morning.

You stir slightly as he goes to tuck you in, murmuring as you roll over to cuddle your pillows, “Love you dad…”

He smiles, giving you a light kiss on the forehead, “Love you too kid.”

 

 

**Friday May 6 th**

Before too long you were thrown back into school, getting ready for your exams to start. It felt different walking back into the school gates however.

Everywhere you went you could hear a whisper of the Phantom Thieves. People were speculating who they were. Were they students here? Are they here to help? What will they do next?

You however, were now approaching them as the congregated on the second floor. 

“We went and formed the Phantom Thieves group, but we can’t even find a target…”

You smirked as Sakomoto whined disappointedly, giggling lightly as you stepped up next to Ann. “Oh, so you’re continuing, are you?” You weren’t disappointed by the reaction of your peers as they registered your question.

Ann did a poor job of hiding it, her strengths in modelling not replicated in acting, “Uh, (y/n)! What are you talking about?”

You giggle, turning to Kurusu amused, “You didn’t tell them, did you?”

“You told her?!” the two looked to each other in disgust as they registered their synchronised reaction, before rounding on Kurusu again, who just held his hands up in defence.

You wave them off with a smile, saving him from the onslaught of judgement, “I figured it out on my own. You know you’re not exactly subtle.”

The excitement eventually died down as you all made your way to your classes, saying goodbye to Sakomoto for now. “You could have let me give them a bit of warning you know.” You grin at Kurusu as you both settle into your seats for the day.

“You’ve had four days to do so, I apologise if you’re too chicken to do so.” He glares at you as you smirk back, finding the whole thing way too funny.

He backs down, smiling at you before shaking his head as he goes to say something. He’s cut off as Ms. Kawakami enters the room, signalling for class to start.

 

 

**~*~**

 

The day runs slowly and by the time it’s over you find yourself staring out the window again. You vaguely registered Mishima talking to Kurusu before your attention was focused on the rooftops again.

A somewhat humanoid shadow was there again, seemingly staring at you as you stared back. There was a faint shimmer amongst its form, gleaming in the daylight.

_It is almost time…_

Eyes of burning gold suddenly snap open, piercing through you with an authority beyond your own. It was like you were frozen to the spot, captured in fear but also enamoured by

“Wait, oh CRAP!” you jump in your seat at Sakomoto’s cry, attention efficiently captured by the group now standing in front of you.

Ann seemed to have the same reaction, glaring at the blond in annoyance. “What is with you?!”

“D-D-Don’t we have an exam comin’ up?” you let out a short laugh at his horrified expression as Ann deadpanned and Kurusu shook his head. You weren’t all that surprised by his lack of organisation.

You watched Ann and Sakomoto go back and forth till Morgana chimed in with a loud mewl, catching the blond’s attention. “What’s questionable is whether you’re really even a human.”

Snapping to attention you look between him and the cat, “Wait, what?” you go unheard as he turns to Kurusu with a grin.

“Good comeback, huh?” Kurusu just shrugged at him before Morgana started mewling at him again

Sakomoto almost seems to be squaring up against the cat, angered somehow by its incessant crying. “Bring it!”

You were very confused to say the least. He’d been talking at the cat on Kurusu’s seat as the other two watched on with seemingly normal reactions, Ann even yelling at the two to stop.

You stand, grabbing the attention of the group, “Sakomoto-kun… are you… talking to Morgana?”

“Just call me Ryuji please!” He groans, seemingly not registering the second half of your sentence.

“Alright then can someone tell me why Ryuji is talking to a cat?!”

“Whoops…”

 

 

**Saturday May 7 th**

You see Makoto making her way up to the roof as you exit the library, a look of determination on her face as she climbs the steps. Knowing who was meeting up there you followed, figuring if something was about to go wrong you’d be there to help.

“The troublemaker, the girl of rumour, and the infamous transfer student… Interesting combination.” You’d made it out the door as she addressed the group in front of her, turning at the sound of the door opening and closing. “Oh! I wasn’t aware you’d be here (y/n).”

You give her a wary smile as you approach your friends, standing beside a table by Kurusu with your arms perched on your hips, “I wondered the same thing about you Makoto.” 

She holds a finger to her lip in thought, arms crossing over her chest, “To think the media heiress would find herself in the mix. How intriguing.”

Ann scoffs, becoming more defensive by the second, “Great way to start a conversation…”

“By the way…” Makoto ignores her, turning her attention to Kurusu, “It seems as though you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well.” You can see the slightest upturn of her lips, her goal evident as she regards the shaggy haired boy.

You can tell he’s suspicious too, guard up as he gives her a short answer.

She continues to subtly pick at him, you blood boiling as she continues her questioning, “I don’t mean to offend. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida.”

You glare, stepping forward as you seethe with heightening annoyance, “Including us, so why the sudden attack, huh?” She continued, ignoring your question deliberately. The more you heard the more respect you were losing for the girl.

“Ah yes, by the way…” The smug expression increased tenfold, your own sour look deepening. “It’s been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all.”

You were suddenly unable to deal with her obvious mockery.

“I’m wondering who it is that put you up to this Nijima.”

The rest of the group was just as shocked by your outburst as the girl in front of you, whose mask of authority dropped immediately, “S-Sorry?”

You stare at her, confused by the charade she seemed to be putting up, “This isn’t like you at all. Bullying students? Making false accusations? Weren’t you the one that was on my family’s side during my mother’s trial?”

She stared back at you, conflict in her eyes before her holier than thou demeanour returned. She turns towards the rest of the group, avoiding your glare as she addressed them, “I’m sorry to have interrupted you.”

And with that, she made her exit.

 

 

**~*~**

 

“Ah, Miss (l/n)! it’s nice to see you back!”

You were greeted warmly by the nurses in the ICU as they passed you by. It was pretty standard routine when you came to visit, people having remembered your face and name by now. You were signed in quickly before making your way to room 372, steps slow but deliberate.

It was a very clinical room, made less so by the homely touches you and your father had added to the place. A few pictures from home, some extra bedding considering the long hours you’d often end up there, books and some flower you’d made a point to refresh every week.

As you changed the Lilies you’d brought last time with Sunflowers, it registered it’d been a year since you started doing this. You let the water overflow as you filled the vase in a sink, not registering till the end of your sleeve had become damp. Quickly pulling back you turn the water off, pouring some out of the vase before returning to the bedside and finally looking to its occupant.

Your mother was beautiful even now, skin pale from lack of sun and thinner than before the accident, but still as radiant as before.

It made you wonder if you’d end up looking like her too.

After placing the sunflowers in the vase, you sat in your usual seat, taking hold of your mother’s hand as you smiled sadly, “I’ve been reading a lot of your books again. The psychology and astronomy ones. They’re kind of amazing.”

You stroke her hand, taking notice of her nails and how much they’ve grown, before reaching for your nail kit. She always liked keeping herself well groomed, so you made a point of taking care of that while she couldn’t. It was the least you could do after all.

As you began working on it you continued talking, making a point to include all the Phantom Thieves details. You could feel something inside her listening to every detail like she always did, making sure you felt like your stories were validated, and wonderful. She never stopped saying how wonderful you were, even as a toddler.

It was obvious why your father loved her.

The thought left a sour taste in your mouth, thinking back on the trial. There was a claim made, saying your father was the reason for her trauma. But you knew the truth.

A drop on nail polish splashed against your leg, alerting you of your state. Mid stroke you’d managed to leave a stripe of purple on your own hand, the brush ending up in the air as you spaced. You were glad to see your mother’s hands were still pristine, continuing with your previous job.

“You know, I wonder what you would think of these Phantom Thieves.” You smile as you think of your new-found friends. Ryuji was actually really fun when you got past the brashness. And you’d started seeing a side of Ann you’d never been shown before. And Kurusu…

You felt a blush creep up your neck.

You shook your head, smiling as you cap the bottle and leave her hand to dry, “I think you’d like him. He’s nothing like the rumours that are going around.” You lean an elbow on her mattress, propping your head on your palm, “He’s helped me a lot you know. Not just with Kamoshida, but just being there.”

Shaking yourself from your stupor, you return your attention to your mother, “Everyone misses you, you know? Sojiro keeps asking, and Mao at the studio has been asking dad a lot too. The world isn’t right without you here.” A sad smile play across your lips as you pick up her other hand to paint, distracting yourself from the obvious.

“I miss you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think! xx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These are just getting longer and longer...  
> Enjoy!  
> Here's the actual chapter 5. Sorry I got ahead of myself

**Saturday May 14 th **

“Weird…” You’re on the escalators leaving the station platform when you notice him again.

Ann gasps, earning your attention and the boys, “Oh my god, that guy got off!”

You clench your fists, anxiety starting to set in, “So, you’ve noticed too?”

She looks to you with a nod, a crease in her forehead, “Yeah, he’s been watching us since Shibuya!”

You both look on in annoyance as Ryuji just yawns, you elbow him in the ribs as Ann berates him, “Hey! At least act like you care!”

He groans, rubbing his side before walking ahead of you all, “Fine… Come on…” You follow, implementing the plan he’s thought of.

You stand with Ann, facing away from the stairs out of the station with the boys somewhere to the sides. Putting on a tough face you huff, hand perched on your hip, “This is so-…” Ann cuts you off by grabbing your hand.

Your hands are shaking, stabilised slightly by her own. “You’re allowed to be scared you know.” She smiles slightly to you, making you relax in knowing you aren’t alone.

A second later the boys are behind you, stopping your follower in his tracks. You turn and watch as they size him up, “Hey, uh… Are you sure it’s him? Or are you guys just that self-conscious.”

Ann began to yell at Ryuji before being cut off by the blue haired boy, "Is there something you want?"

You stared slack jawed at his reaction as Ann rounded on him, "That's my line! You were the one stalking us!" She barrels past Ryuji, pointing a well-manicured finger in the stranger’s face.

He simply pushes a strand of hair out of his eyes, staring back at Ann with a cool expression, "Stalking you...? That's outrageous."

She only becomes more fired up as she continues her tirade, “I know you’ve been following me! Ever since the train!”

“That’s because…”

A car horn cuts him off, all of you turning to the road as a black car pulls up, the face of an older man appearing in the open window, “My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car.” The smiling man gives you both a curious once over before turning back to the boy in front of you, “So this is where your passion led.” He turns in his seat to face forward once again, “All is well that ends well.”

You could feel an uneasiness in the pit of your stomach as the man laughed. On anyone else it would almost seem jovial. On him, you couldn’t sense any sincerity behind that laugh.

“I saw you from the car… and I couldn’t help myself from chasing after you.” Your attention was back on the strange boy. He was in Ann’s face, eyes filled with determination as he continued, “I didn’t even notice the calls from sensei… But thank goodness, I caught up to you.” He turned to you in a frenzy, desperation across his features, “After all, it led me to you too.”

You blinked, leaning away from him as he leaned towards you, “Ok…”

“What?” Ann grabs your hand, pulling you back towards her but that only draws him closer.

“You’re the woman I’ve been searching for all this time! Please, won’t you…”

“Hang on, I’m not-…”

“Be the model for my next art piece!?”

 

 

**~*~**

 

You watch as Takamaki stretches beside you, letting out a satisfied groan. The grin on her face out of both joy and pride as she beamed at you, “It’s over!”

Ryuji on the other hand looked miserable, “It’s over…”

The last week or so you’d been helping your small group study, finding that two out of three seemed utterly hopeless, and the other was trying their best, “Well, congratulations everyone. You survived!” you look to Ryuji with a smirk, “or most of you.”

Ryuji glared at you, “Shut up (y/n).” He turned to Kurusu, hoping for support, “How ‘bout you…?”

He nodded with a small grin, “I’m feeling confident.” He sent you a soft smile, silently thanking you for your help. You grin back as Ryuji looks between you two.

“You traitor!” he pulls out his phone, trying to cover up his disappointment, “Anyways, can we stop talking about the exams? Like it or not, they’re gonna come back graded next week. Rather than focus on stuff that’s over with…”

Ann asks what he’s looking at, brushing her hair off her shoulder as she leans towards Ryuji’s phone screen. You lean over his shoulder as he taps the screen a few times, bringing up the Phan-Site, “…It’s no use. There ain’t any useful info. The number of posts are gettin’ less and less too…”

Morgana mewls at the group, Ann waving him off, “There’s no point in getting antsy though.” Her face lights up as a thought occurs, “I know! Why don’t we go eat lunch somewhere? We still have money left over from the other day.”

You cross your arms with a sigh, “I still can’t believe you went to the buffet without me…” Ann shrugs with an apologetic smile as Ryuji starts getting excited about the prospect of food, his disappointment returning as Ann denies his request due to cost.

“Oh right. There are those tickets to Madarame’s exhibit!” Ann seems excited before realisation hits, “Wait, that’s tomorrow.” Morgana mewls erratically at Ann, the girl’s brow creasing in confusion. “It’s not that.”

You lean over to Kurusu, scratching Morgana’s head along the way, “I’m guessing Morgana said something again?”

He nods as the cat purrs, leaning into your palm, “Something about love at first sight with Kitagawa.” You nod, your hand retreating much to Morgana’s disappointment as you smirk at the small animal.

“Ah, of course.”

 

 

 

**Sunday May 15 th**

Considering the others had a lead on Madarame already, there was no way they were passing up on going to this exhibit, which of course, meant you were to be dragged along too. You were the reason they were invited after all. 

You’d planned with Kurusu to meet at the café and walk together, but when you saw the rain as you woke up that morning you’d decided to enact your plan B.

The bell chimes as you step into the café, shaking your hair of any rain it managed to catch, “Morning!”

 

 

**~*~**

 

“You came!” You smile kindly as Kitagawa approaches your group. He returns the smile as you and Ann greet him, though his demeanour changes when he turns to the boys behind you, “You really came.”

Ryuji flares up a little, taking his remark as a challenge, “What’d you expect when you left us those tickets!?”

Kitagawa warns the two not to get in the way of visitors before turning back to you and Ann with a soft expression, “Come now. I’ll show you around. I’d like to speak more about the picture I’d like to draw too.”

It was strange for such an eclectic guy to have such a calming aura around him. Ann however seemed nervous as she turns to the boys, “Well, see you guys later.”

You wave as Kitagawa leads you away, Ann being sure to stick to your side as she walks along.

“Please, feel free to ask any questions you like. Being a student of Madarame I’ve been privy to all sorts of information about his art.” He seems to glow with pride as he leads the two of you through the maze of art.

There are a few times where he’ll stop at a piece and discuss it. The art style, the techniques, the tools that went into its making. He knew way more about art than either of you could comprehend.

“I didn’t know there were so many types of Japanese art.” Ann scans the walls with wide eyes, trying to take in everything at once, as Kitagawa shows you both the many pieces strung about the walls.

“Usually one concentrates on their own style. However, Sensei creates all this by himself.” Kitagawa smiles as he gazes at his master’s art, seemingly lost in its world, “He’s special.”

You can’t seem to decipher what’s wrong here. As you stare at the different types of art, you can’t seem to find any connection in their creation. “It seems a little too good to be true huh.” You only realise you’ve said this out loud when Kitagawa’s gaze snaps toward you momentarily, his smile fading before he turns back to look at the walls.

“There you are, Yusuke.”

Kitagawa jumps slightly, turning to find Madarame had approached your group, “Sensei!”

He smiles warmly towards you and Ann, “Ah, the girls from yesterday. Are you enjoying the exhibit?”

“I don’t know how to put it into words… but it’s really amazing.” Ann seems to be in complete awe of the entire exhibit, making you wonder if you’re looking too deeply into things. Was there really anything wrong with this man?

“You’re sensing something from the artwork… That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction.” He seems delighted by her words, a well-worn smile stretching across his face, turning to his student, “I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Kitagawa.” He returns his gaze to the two of you, nodding politely, “Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”

You watch him leave, Ann turning to you with a smile, “You’d imagine artists would be difficult to approach… but he seems really friendly.”

Kitagawa smiles, watching after his sensei in admiration, “Indeed.”

Something catches Ann’s eye, a grin adorning her face as she rushes to the next wall, “Oh, this is it – the painting I wanted to see in person.”

“… this one?” Kitagawa seems confused as you approach the painting with him.

She nods, turning back to the art with an amazed gleam in her eyes, “I guess it’s the painter’s anger? I’m not sure, but I sense this… strong frustration from it.”

You step forward next to her, taking in each brush stroke and splash of colour, “Like it’s a cry for help…” Kitagawa’s muscles tense slightly as you both observe the piece, making you wonder what it is that makes him so anxious about the art.

“To think such a cheerful and gentlemanly person could make such a piece…”

He looks as if he’s been punched in the gut as Ann speaks. You both take notice, anxious about his sudden reaction. “Something wrong?” Ann goes to approach him before he returns to his previous state, standing upright with a soft smile.

“Don’t mind me.” He turns away from the art, starting to lead you both away. “There are better pieces than… this one. Come now, this way!” He walks off, you following quickly as Ann stays put for a moment, confused by his sudden change.

“H-Hey…!”

 

 

**~*~**

You came back to the group with a few cans of drink, handing them out as Ryuji pulled up the Phansite. “A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarising his pupil’s work. Only his public face is shown on TV.”

It was almost comical how shocked Ann looked over what she was listening to, “Plagiarising!?”

“I knew it.” You crossed your arms, shoulders hunching slightly in annoyance, “I’d seen the same post too. There was something weird about how sporadic his art seemed to be.” Thinking back, the brush strokes just didn’t seem at all alike, as if each piece of art was created by a new hand.

Ryuji shrugs at this, scrolling down on his phone, “I didn’t think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing “shack” and “Madarame” triggered it.” He squints at his screen, reading the rest of the post, “His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around.” You can hear the annoyance in his voice as he finishes, “He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog.”

Morgana lets out a mewl and Ryuji begins to look excited, “If this is real, it’ll be a huge scandal.”

“I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this.” Ann looks down, clearly feeling sorry for the boy, “I mean he IS a pupil of his.”

Once again Ryuji shrugs, looking down at the screen once more, “Who knows? It’s anonymous and all…”

From there they went on to talk about things you didn’t really understand. Shadow? Mementos? Your focus drifted off as they continued, only coming back when they mentioned your name. “Hm?”

Ann stared at you in disbelief, “Have you even been paying attention?”

You shrug, “It’s not like I can follow half your conversations anyway. You talk about some weird stuff.”

She huffs, crossing her arms. “We were saying we’d go to Madarame’s tomorrow after school if you’re okay with it.”

“Oh.” You look around at everyone with a shrug, indifferent to the whole thing. “Whatever works I guess.”

 

 

**Monday May 16 th  **

It didn’t really work out.

Ryuji had spent the last few minutes trying not so subtly to get info out of Kitagawa, only angering the poor boy. After a quick interruption from Madarame it seemed he had calmed however, going on to defend his teacher further.

"...I know. I think you'll be able to believe in Sensei if you saw that painting." He takes out his phone, searching quickly for what he wants, smiling triumphantly as he turns the device to show you, "It's his maiden work as well as his most representative piece- It's titled "Sayuri." He smiles as he stares at the piece, eyes full of wonder as he speaks, "This was the painting that inspired me to become an artist."

Ann’s eyes sparkle lightly as she observes the picture, "It's so beautiful..."

Ryuji even seems impressed, staring at the phone in awe, "I don't know all this fine-art stuff, but even I can tell that this is impressive..."

He turns to you with a soft smile as he puts his phone away, "When I first saw you, I felt the same emotion as when I saw this painting..."

"Wait, what?" you step away slightly, taken back by his bold words.

He nods, closing his eyes with a soothing expression, "I wish to pursue beauty like this. And I believe drawing you will be part of that pursuit.” He bows towards you, almost begging you, “I implore you: seriously consider my offer."

He straightens up, “I’m sorry that you took the time to come all this way, but I must assist Sensei today.” He steps away, retreating into the shack, “I hope that we can discuss this further another time. If you’ll excuse me, then.”

As the group begins to step away and discuss thing, your phone in your pocket begins ringing. Excusing yourself, you step away and pick up, your dad’s voice heard clear as day, “Hey kiddo! You got anything important at school tomorrow?”

The conversation distracts you from whatever the rest of the group is doing, planning to work at the station for the day as your friends continue their conversation behind you. “Okay, see you at the museum after second period then.” You hang up just as an unfamiliar voice sounds behind you.

_“Beginning navigation.”_

“Hey wait! (y/n) is here too!”

 

 

**~*~**

 

To say this was the weirdest thing to ever happen to you would be an understatement.

“The fuck?” You find yourself standing in the middle of a lobby of sorts, blue and gold filling your vision as you look around. The air felt dense, and it dawned on you that you probably shouldn’t be here right now.

As you take in your surroundings, your attention is captured by the front desk, where a display stand is located. You let out a sigh of relief as you approach it, opening a pamphlet to find the layout of what you’ve now identified as a museum. “Weird…”

“(y/n)!” you look to your right, finding four individuals running towards you, one of them almost half the size of the rest. You don’t have to time to move as the girl in a red cat suit jumps at you, wrapping her arms around your neck in a hug. “We were so worried about you!”

“Um… What?” The girl jumps as she pulls back with a sheepish expression. You’d recognise that look anywhere, “Wait… Ann?” You look around at the group, noticing the bushy dark hair and slouch of Kurusu and Ryuji. “This is… weird…”

Ann looks around at your group, realising how shell shocked you probably are in this moment, “We should probably get you out of here.”

 

 

**~*~**

 

“So, let me see if I have this right,” your group now sat in the diner at Shibuya. The others sitting around you had spent the last 10 minutes or so explaining their situation, “we’re in this whole other alternate universe, the metaverse you said, and it manifests people’s deepest desires, but only those that have become distorted?”

There were a few nods, including from the cat… thing… which had yet to be explained to you, before you continued, “And you’re saying Madarame has one of these… “palaces” which has turned the shack in this metaverse into a museum?” you take in your surroundings, a “safe room” they’d called it, brows furrowing as you made sense of everything you’d been told, “I think I understand.”

 “You know, I’m surprised by how well you’re taking this (Y/N).” Ryuji comments, head resting on the back of his seat as he straddled the piece of furniture. It was like he didn’t know how to sit like a normal person.

Ann giggles before throwing an arm around your shoulders, “I already knew she’d be fine. She’s nothing short of incredible after all.”

You push her off, cheeks flushing from embarrassment at being complimented so openly by your friend, not that you shouldn’t be used to it by now. “Well, it’s not exactly the most outrageous thing I’ve heard.” You catch Ann’s attention with that, a small amount of shock appearing on her face. You shrug it off, not wanting to dive into it too much.

“So, what now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I realised I posted the wrong chapter before this. You've probably already read this so go back and read the real chapter 5.  
> No wonder I was confused when I skipped meeting Yusuke completely.  
> Enjoy!

**Tuesday May 17 th**

“Oh, (l/n)! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

You turn away from the lights you’re setting up to see Kitagawa approaching you with a pleasant smile. “Kitagawa-kun. How are you?”

He chuckles lightly, holding his hands behind his back, “Please, call me Yusuke, I’m not really one for formalities.” His smile increases when you do so. “Shouldn’t you be in school though?”

You turn back to your work as you continue your conversation, “My dad owns the company, plus he’s the host for the show, so he wants me to learn as much as I can before he hands the company over some day.” With a satisfied hum you motion for him to follow you as you make your way back to your father, finding him talking to one of the production crew. “What about you? Don’t you have school today too?”

He nods, following your lead as you sit on one of the couches on set, waiting for your father to finish his conversation. “Madarame wanted me to come along. Says I might someday be in his spot.” You can see his eyes droop slightly when he mentions Madarame.

“You don’t believe that, do you?”

You can tell he’s caught slightly off guard by your question, staring at you for a moment before looking down at his hands. “I’m not sure.”

“(y/n)!” Your father walks towards the two of you with a smile, nodding towards Yusuke before returning his attention to you, “Wanna try make up today?”

You shoot him a thumbs up, receiving a smile in return as he walks towards the makeup desks, one of the girls guiding Madarame in the same direction. Turning to Yusuke you give him a smile, “I guess I’ll talk to you later then? Ann and I were thinking of coming by for that session today after all.”

He lights up once again, a grin appearing on his features as you say your goodbyes.

As you approach makeup, you’re greeted by the somewhat kind smile of the old artist waiting for you, “You have quite the effect on my student.” He looks over your shoulder to Yusuke, who is now pacing the room as he looks at the art. “What was your name my dear?”

You give him a forced smile, holding a hand out to shake his own, “(l/n) (y/n), feel free to call me (y/n) however.”

His eyes light up in recognition, “So you’re the one he’s been talking about.” You can tell he’s scanning you, searching for something. The moment he finds it a mischievous smile lights his face. “I see why, you have a certain ageless beauty to you.”

You feel put off slightly, wondering what exactly that means, before you start your work.

**~*~**

You yawned slightly as you sat in silence, waiting for Yusuke to finish. The other three sat to the side, giving up on getting his attention after countless failed attempts.

“Perhaps I should try going outside this room…” Morgana, who you now could hear after your little excursion, popped his head out of Kurusu’s bag. The dark-haired boy remarked for him not to get caught, to which he somehow… smirked? “Heh, who do you think you’re talking to?” and with that, he sauntered out of the room.

Not long after, Yusuke sighed, slumping in his seat. You were about to ask if he was okay until Ryuji jumped from his seat, “Are you done?”

He sat up a bit, seemingly giving up, “It’s no good…”

You looked up, wondering what had him so upset, “Oh… did I move or something?”

“No, you’re perfect,” He was quick to defend you, making you blush slightly, “It’s just… I’m having trouble staying focused today. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to resume this another time…”

“Oh, hell no!” You sigh as you watch Ryuji jump in again, straight to the point as always. Yusuke starts to become angered by his accusations again until you speak up.

“That painting… The one from the exhibit… It’s yours, isn’t it?” You see his anger begin to melt away slightly, stumping him. “I knew it.”

You watch Ryuji’s anger get the best of him, only beginning to push Yusuke’s reason to defend his master further. “It’s just as you all say. We’re our sensei’s “artwork””

“Don’t misunderstand me though. I offered my ideas to him myself. As such, it can’t be called plagiarism.” He seems almost uncomfortable as he continuously defends Madarame, “Sensei is simply suffering from artists block right now.”

Ryuji crosses his arms over his chest, defiance obvious, “Dude, still…”

He jumps in again, going too strong too fast as he continues to press him, only angering Yusuke further. “What’s wrong with a pupil helping out his master?!”

You’re taken back by his sudden outburst against Ryuji, feeling even worse for Yusuke as he continues, “There are no victims here. Stop pushing your self-centred righteousness on me!”

“And the other pupils?”

His gaze flickers to Kurusu as his soft voice enters the fray, stumping him for a moment as he gets his grounding, “I’m supporting Sensei as his pupil. Where’s the wrong in that?” You can tell you aren’t going to get through to him as he continues, threatening to report you to the police, even to sue. “I asked (y/n) and Takamaki-san to be my models today, but I don’t recall ever calling you two here!”

As Ryuji starts to flare up again Ann cuts in, trying to defuse the tension that had already built way too far, “I won’t report you… but only under one condition.”

You light up slightly, hopeful for an easy solution, “What’s that?”

He stares down at you with a fire in his eyes, “I want you to continue being my model, (y/n).”

You look around at everyone else, each just as confused as you are, “But you said that it wasn’t working out today…”

He looked slightly sheepish at this, making you suspicious to his true feelings, “That’s because I was unconsciously being modest for your sake…” You blink up at him, scared by his admission.

“Sorry?”

“However, I have nothing to worry about anymore. If you’re willing to bare everything to me…” He clenches his fists, a passionate fire lighting up his face, “… I will put my heart and soul into creating the best nude painting ever!”

You feel your face heat up as your eyes widen.

“NUDE?!”

**Wednesday May 18 th**

You were going to be a nude model.

It was the only thing that seemed to occupy your mind the entire day.

Somehow, you’d safely ended up in the station walkway with the group, barely paying any attention. You briefly heard Morgana’s crazy speech, the discussion of the palace’s security, and something about your chastity? But still, all you could think was NUDE PAINTING.

“Hang on shouldn’t we-?”

And then you had a slight headache.

“Are you kidding me with this?” once again you found yourself in the Palace, not alone this time, but not exactly in good company either.

“Intruder!”

You stood in the lobby, staring at a bulky, what you assume to be, shadow in front of you before a thought occurred, “Oh fuck!” The only option you had was to run as they came at you. You very narrowly dodged a hand reaching towards you before you ran straight into another which successfully apprehended you.

“(l/n)!” your head whipped in the direction of the stairs, Kurusu sprinting towards you as he took out his dagger.

It was like some kind of dance.

You watched as he easily cut through the arm holding you back, giving you an opportunity to get to a safe distance. He flipped through the air gracefully, landing on the shoulders of the shadow and ripping its mask off, reducing it to a puddle before it sprung up into some… onion?

There wasn’t much opportunity for you to figure that out, the fight was over before you even knew if started.

You stare in awe as he slashes through the thing, reducing it to nothing, before turning to you with a worried expression. “You okay?”

There was a moment of pure shocked silence before your mouth started moving, “That was so fucking cool!” Your face split into a grin as you grabbed his arm in your excitement, “You were awesome! How you just moved and just wow.” You caught yourself before you continued rambling, clearing your throat in embarrassment.

Kurusu blinked a few times before smiling, “I did not expect that reaction.”

You both turn back to the staircase, hearing footsteps as Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana finally catch up. “(y/n)! Are you okay?!” Ann immediately checks you for any injuries as Morgana brings out Zorro just in case.

You chuckle and shake her off, “I’m fine. Kurusu got here just in time.”

Ann sighed in relief before turning to glare at Ryuji, “He wouldn’t have had to bolt off if Ryuji had waited for a minute!” she continued to tell the blond off as the rest of you watched, varying emotions running through the group.

You shook your head, deciding to end the argument before it got too far. There were more important things to worry about, “It’s fine, but what now? I can’t let you waste time taking me back now.”

Morgana jumped up between them, “She’s right. We can’t afford to waste time on this.”

“So, what?” Ryuji was less than impressed by what he was suggested, “We bring her with us?”

Morgana rolls his eyes, glaring up at the blond, “(y/n) is perfectly capable. It shouldn’t be too much trouble. Plus, it might even help us along the way to have an extra head.”

You beam with pride, giving the cat boy a pat on the head, “Aw, thanks Mona.”

You can tell he’s blushing as he smiles up at you, “Alright! Let’s go!”

 

**~*~**

 

There was no way any of you were making it out of here alive.

As soon as you’d entered the second-floor exhibition room, you were cornered by shadows, each of your friends taken down in an instant trying to keep you safe. You’re held still and you can practically hear his sleazy grin over the loud speakers. “Well, well, well, another piece to add to my collection.”

“Don’t touch her!” Ann cries out from where she’s pinned down, glaring up as he laughs. You can see your other friends in similar situations, and you can’t help but feel responsible for their pain.

Your eyes scan over to Ryuji, who manages to push off the ground somewhat, “If you hurt her I swear to- AH!” You watch as the shadow grinds their foot into his back as he cries out, pain evident on his face.

They were in pain because you were here.

“Mum… Futaba… Is this my retribution…?”

You feel a tear roll down your cheek, giving up on trying to fight. “It’s all my fault…”

“Don’t give up!”

Your head snaps up and Kurusu’s glare connects with your own pathetic stare, “You’re better than this! You know you are!” For a moment you’re unsure about his words, but seeing his determined gaze…

Something in you awakens.

 

**_Now where has that defiant nature gone?_ **

Madarame laughs, “What a pathetic display this is! Bring her to me!” the shadow holding you begins to walk away, dragging you along with it, “Come child, your beauty will now belong to me.”

**_Was it an act? A lie?_ **

 

“No…” you stare down at the ground, hands clenching into fists

The shadow stops, Madarame’s cocky attitude dissipates to annoyance, “What was that?”

“I’m done standing by and watching. I’m done playing the victim.” Your fear turns to anger as your gaze moves to find one of the security cameras. “It’s people like you who piss me the fuck off!”

****

**_You’ve finally realised it have you?_ **

 

Your head felt like it was suddenly about to burst as a voice rang out in your mind.

It was like your blood was on fire, your body fighting against the grip on you as you flail around, pain overtaking your body. You felt like your throat was going to tear apart as you cry out.

 

**_Well, who am I to deny such unfathomable beauty. Such power._ **

**_Let us forge the contract then._ **

**_I am thou, thou art I…_ **

****

Your muscles tense before the shadow holding onto you is thrown away from you, a sudden gust of wind bursting through the room.

Your left standing on your feet, bringing a hand up to clutch your mask, ripping it clear off your face as blood splatters across the floor.

“What is this?!” He cries out in fear as what looks like a hurricane surrounds your form.

 

**_Rise! Fly above those who wrong you! Let them witness your ascension!_ **

****

The wind disperses, and you find yourself glaring up at the camera once more. With a wave of your hand your Persona slashes her sword, and the shadows holding your friends are dealt with.

“So, you think you can use others to boost your talentless ego?” Your gaze remains still, more shadows appearing in the room at his request. You laugh shortly with a smirk spreading across your face, “How pathetic.”

You watch your friends join you, before aiming your sword at the group of shadows before you, “Take them… _Cassiopeia_!”

 

 

**~*~**

 

The second the fight was over you collapsed. “How do you guys do this shit?”

Ann laughs lightly, going to help you up, “The awakening always takes it out of you at first.” Morgana explains as he heals you up, “But wow (y/n), that was amazing!”

“You’re Persona is pretty dope.” Ryuji adds, giving you a quick thumbs up as he catches his breath, “but we gotta come up with a code name before we forget.”

You looked around, confused at what he meant, “Code name?”

“Well, yeah.” Ann flips her hair before giving her mask a tap, “I’m Panther.”

Ryuji grins and gives his own mask a tap for emphasis, “And I’m Skull! See?”

You turn to Morgana for his, receiving a shrug as he answers too, “We just stick with Mona since that’s all Ryuji can seem to call me.” The blond cries out in offence as you turn to Kurusu, wonder what he could be.

He looks to you as you both ignore the little spat Ryuji and Morgana seem to be having, “I’m Joker.”

“Hm… Well, okay.” You think for a second not really having any ideas, “Anyone got one?”

“How about… Angel.” Ann offers with a smile, gesturing towards you as she explains, “She’s got all the feathers and stuff.”

You look down at your outfit, not noticing the change until now, “Wait what?”

“Oh yeah, that happened to all of us.” Ryuji explains, picking at his own outfit with a shrug.

You nod in understanding, “I was wondering why you would wear a cat suit.” You say to Ann, to which she blushes in annoyance, “Armour and feathers, what a weird combination.”

Ryuji lit up, jumping a little in excitement, “Oh! Knight could be cool!”

Morgana shook his head, “No way! That’s too generic.” You all stand around for a moment in thought, waiting for divine inspiration to hit.

“Valkyrie.” You turn to Kurusu, finding him staring right at you. “Pretty, bad ass,” his expression is unreadable as he shrugs, “It’s pretty fitting.” You feel your cheeks start to burn, annoyed than your mask wasn’t covering more of your skin.

“Perfect!” Ann throws an arm around your shoulders, mischief gleaming in her eyes as she pulls you along beside her. “Valkyrie it is!”

 

 

**~*~**

 

“I didn’t know being a Phantom Thief would be so exhausting.” You sat on the, surprisingly almost empty, train next to Kurusu. It was difficult to remember the last time you were this tired.

Your friend tilted his head, “Weren’t you on the volleyball team?” You freeze in place, not realising you’d somehow forgotten that part of your life.

Right, the volleyball team.

“I kind of blocked that out…” It wasn’t something you wanted in the back of your mind. The only good memories were from before Kamoshida was hired.

You could see he wanted to ask more but was cut off as the train announced your stop.

“Oh, we better get ready to go I guess.” You stood quickly, picking up your things and making your way to the doors. Kurusu follows you, staying silent as you wait for the train to stop, stepping out into the light crowd of the underground platform.

The walk to Le’Blanc wasn’t too exciting, considering you were silent the whole time and Kurusu just let you have your moment. It was nice to feel like you weren’t under pressure, but you knew you had to say something.

As he went to open the door for you, you stopped in place, mustering up the courage to say something.

“It’s okay.”

Your head snaps up, seeing he was already looking back at you with kind eyes, “You don’t have to tell me.”

“But I do.” You could feel the prickle of tears behind your eyes, realising how long you’d held onto what happened. “You’re the only person I can.”

He stares back at you for a moment before nodding in understanding, “Come on upstairs then.” With a smile he opens the door for you, both of you saying goodnight to Sojiro as he makes his way out, before making your way up to the attic.

It looked different from the last time you were up here.

For one it wasn’t as cluttered as it used to be, and looked more like a bedroom than a storage room, “You’ve really made it your own huh?”

He looks around and shrugs, “Well, it’s my home right now. So, I thought, may as well.” He turns to you with a smile, hand held out in a welcoming gesture, “Go ahead, make yourself at home.” With an amused grin you do just that, flopping down on the sofa you remembered being stored up here without hesitation. You let out a sigh as you remember why you’re here in the first place.

Kurusu settles on a chair he pulls out from the corner, focused entirely on you. Somehow it gave you confidence you needed, starting with the first thing you remember, “I was apparently his favourite player.”

“He used to tell me I could probably surpass his own skill one day and was tougher on me because of it. I knew there was something weird about him singling me out, but I just let it go because he’s a teacher and why would he do anything wrong. That was in the beginning though.”

“It was a couple months in when he started his advances. He’d ask me to stay after school, was buying me lunch, even gave me his phone number. I ignored it and kept pushing him away because I was a student and it was just… weird. Then when I turned him down completely, he got mad.”

_You got to the court first that day, finding Kamoshida already setting up for practice. He spotted you before you could even think about leaving and coming back later. “(y/n)! I was hoping to see you first.” He jogged over as you thought about making an excuse as to why you should leave, “I was wanting to ask you something.”_

_You could hear alarm bells in the back of your head as he pulled out two tickets for an all-star’s volleyball game from his pocket, “I got these in the mail, and since you’re my favourite after all, I was wondering if you’d be interested.” He smiled down at you, really turning on the charm, “So? What do you say?”_

_Shaking your head, you looked down at the ground, “Sorry, but I’m not interested. You know that.” You played with your hands, trying to ignore the feeling in your gut telling you to shut up and run, “It’s also not really appropriate. I’m a student. You’re a teacher.”_

_Looking up to find him glaring down at you, you start to regret even opening your mouth._

You hadn’t noticed your hands were shaking till Kurusu was holding them in his own, smiling warmly down at you as you took a deep breath, continuing your story, “He began to verbally and physically attack me in practices. Spiking balls at me, insulting me when I missed. He did it to everyone else too, to punish them for my own actions. When I finally tried to speak up about it, he grabbed me, twisted my arm, and nearly dislocated it in the process. I ended up with an injury that stopped me from playing forever.”

_You stormed into his office, a murderous glare aimed straight for him as you entered, “Mr Kamoshida, enough is enough. You’ve had your fun, it’s time for you to stop being so petty.” You’d just seen Shido once again covered in bruises after a visit to his office._

_He looked up from his desk, raising a brow at him, “I’m sorry Miss. (l/n), is there something you wanted? You couldn’t possibly be coming to tell me off for something.” His face said innocent, but his eyes were filled with glee at the prospect of tearing you down._

_With a growl you slam your hands down on his desk, “You know exactly what I’m talking about!” you almost see surprise on his face before he stands up to his full height, walking around the desk and squaring up against you._

_“You might want to watch your tone (y/n). It could almost look like you’re threatening me.” He smirks down at you, leaning down to get in your face, “And we don’t want to have a self-defence case on our hands do we?”_

_You stepped closer to the man, fear not even present in that moment, “I’m not afraid of you.”_

_Oh, how you would regret even thinking those words were true._

You wiped away a few tears that had spilled out, staring down at your hands with a sour smile, “I mean, it wasn’t exactly my dream or anything, but something in me died that day. Everything physically healed in the end, but there was still something in me scarred forever. That’s what stopped me from doing anything. What stopped me from saving everyone so much trouble.”

You punched a fist into the couch beside you, tears pouring down your face as you let out a cry, “I’m a fucking coward!”

The couch dips slightly beside you, arms wrapping around you before you throw yourself into the embrace. “You aren’t a coward.” You don’t even try to reply, burying your face in his shoulder as you let out all the pent-up emotion.

It felt like hours before you finally stopped, pulling back with a sigh and wiping your face of with your sleeve, “God, I probably look like a crazy person right now.” You let out a wet laugh as you try to calm yourself down.

“No, you’re still looking as good as always.” You look up at Kurusu, his face as red as yours felt in that moment. He looks away quickly as he starts apologising.

You can’t help but giggle at how ridiculous the whole thing was.

“Hey Kurusu... Do you mind me staying for just a little longer?” he turns to you, eyes wide in shock, making you think you’ve overstepped. “Sorry, never mind.” You stand to leave, beginning to walk towards the stairs, “It was a stupid question. I’ll just get go-.”

“Akira.”

His voice stops you, bringing your attention back to him before you got too far, “Sorry?”

He smiles, and from what you could hear chuckles, before elaborating, “Please, just call me Akira.”

Saying you were shocked was an understatement. You stare back at him for a moment before a smile breaks out over your face, “Then feel free to call me (Y/N).”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Burn me I'm a witch.


End file.
